The YouTube Kids app shows videos about conspiracy theories

2018-03-19 00:35:11 UTC [19659006] YouTube Kids once again faces questions about the content of their application. This time, they are not violent videos, but questionable conspiracy theories.

A report in Business Insider found that the application recommended a series of videos that promoted conspiracy theories, including that the moon landing was false, the pyramids were built by aliens and that "the planet is run by hybrids of reptiles and humans" , among others.

Although these videos may not violate YouTube guidelines, it is obviously not the kind of content that YouTube wants to promote among children.

Worse yet, the revelation occurs just as the company faces greater scrutiny over the role of its platform in propagating conspiracy theories. The executive director, Susan Wojcicki, said the company will soon publish information from Wikipedia and other sources along with videos about conspiracy theories.

In a statement to Business Insider, YouTube acknowledged that "no system is perfect and, sometimes, we miss the brand." The company added that "immediate action" is required to prevent inappropriate videos from appearing in the application.

The problem for YouTube, however, is that with the large number of videos on its platform, the company has not done a very good job of filtering what is and is not suitable for children.

YouTube Kids has been previously criticized for promoting violent videos disguised as cartoons. He also faced questions from the FTC about whether the sponsored content is correctly identified.